U.S. Surgeon General warns of untreated illnesses in jails/prisons

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/washington/11surgeon.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all

Dr. Carmona said drafts of surgeon general reports on global health and prison health were still being debated by the administration. The global health report was never approved, Dr. Carmona said, because he refused to sprinkle the report with glowing references to the efforts of the Bush administration.

"The correctional health care report is pointing out the inadequacies of health care within our correctional health care system," he said. "It would force the government on a course of action to improve that."

Because the administration does not want to spend more money on prisoners' health care, the report has been delayed, Dr. Carmona said.

"For us, the science was pretty easy," he said. "These people go back into the community and take diseases with them." He added, "This is not about the crime. It's about protecting the public."

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